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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. headlined the five inductees into the first class of the Hall of Fame, a group that drew mixed reactions to the inclusion of France's son instead of driver David Pearson.
2009 NASCAR Hall of Fame
Dale Earnhardt leads the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Here's a look:
Dale Earnhardt
• 76 Cup wins as a driver; 7 Cup championships
Bill France, Sr.
• NASCAR founder
Bill France, Jr.
• NASCAR president 1972-2000
Junior Johnson
• 50 wins as a driver; 6 championships as a car owner
Richard Petty
• 200 victories as a driver; 7 Cup championships
France, who formed the National Association of Stock Car Racing in 1947, was the first inductee announced Wednesday in a ceremony that followed a lengthy voting session at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Richard Petty, the seven-time Cup champion and NASCAR's all-time wins leader, was the second inductee revealed by current NASCAR chairman Brian France, who received the five envelopes one at a time from an independent accounting firm.
Next up was Bill France Jr., son of the NASCAR founder who spent nearly 30 years at the helm of America's top motorsports series.
"When I seen the two Frances was in, I knew I didn't have a chance," Pearson said moments after the ceremony ended.
The final two nods instead went to Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR's other seven-time champion, and Junior Johnson, a former driver and car owner whose early days of running moonshine through backroads of North Carolina stands as a symbol of NASCAR's start.
Pearson's exclusion surprised many, including Petty.
Ushered into the ballroom moments after the inductees were announced, the King had to be told who had been selected with him for next May's induction ceremony.
"That wouldn't have been my pick," he said.
The differing opinions created a strange dynamic through the convention center, where 50 voters had gathered to debate the nominees before a secret ballot. As many of NASCAR's pioneers discussed the selections, six women clad in black dresses, dark sunglasses and fake Earnhardt-like mustaches distributed invitations to a celebratory reception hosted by Earnhardt's widow, Teresa.
2009 NASCAR Hall of Fame
Dale Earnhardt leads the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Here's a look:
Dale Earnhardt
• 76 Cup wins as a driver; 7 Cup championships
Bill France, Sr.
• NASCAR founder
Bill France, Jr.
• NASCAR president 1972-2000
Junior Johnson
• 50 wins as a driver; 6 championships as a car owner
Richard Petty
• 200 victories as a driver; 7 Cup championships
France, who formed the National Association of Stock Car Racing in 1947, was the first inductee announced Wednesday in a ceremony that followed a lengthy voting session at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Richard Petty, the seven-time Cup champion and NASCAR's all-time wins leader, was the second inductee revealed by current NASCAR chairman Brian France, who received the five envelopes one at a time from an independent accounting firm.
Next up was Bill France Jr., son of the NASCAR founder who spent nearly 30 years at the helm of America's top motorsports series.
"When I seen the two Frances was in, I knew I didn't have a chance," Pearson said moments after the ceremony ended.
The final two nods instead went to Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR's other seven-time champion, and Junior Johnson, a former driver and car owner whose early days of running moonshine through backroads of North Carolina stands as a symbol of NASCAR's start.
Pearson's exclusion surprised many, including Petty.
Ushered into the ballroom moments after the inductees were announced, the King had to be told who had been selected with him for next May's induction ceremony.
"That wouldn't have been my pick," he said.
The differing opinions created a strange dynamic through the convention center, where 50 voters had gathered to debate the nominees before a secret ballot. As many of NASCAR's pioneers discussed the selections, six women clad in black dresses, dark sunglasses and fake Earnhardt-like mustaches distributed invitations to a celebratory reception hosted by Earnhardt's widow, Teresa.
I'm with Richard Petty and him saying "that wouldn't have been my pick".The Frances run the sport but the drivers made the sport.Heres my top 5:
NBA is a joke
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